ABSTRACT
Frankfurt’s liberal past support of the arts, and specifically of William Forsythe’s work at the State Theater, is analysed and contrasted with its current fiscal crisis and the implications for Forsythe’s position. The city’s cuts and a controversy within the management tempt the choreographer to reduce his company and redirect his work, possibly in an alternative space. His work developed from creative use of restrictions on his budget, and his collaborative method of making work developed in response to restrictions on rehearsal time. The ballets Limb’s Theorem and Sleepers Guts and the video dance Solo are discussed in terms of thesis/antithesis and counterpoint form. Forsythe’s possible new directions are discussed in terms of their implications for the public’s perception of the nature of his work.
